Twelfth Night

How does Shakespeare present the theme of deception in the first two acts of Twelfth night?

Shakespeare's Twelfth night, focuses mainly on the theme of deception in both main plot and the sub-plot. Not only do the characters deceive each other, but many of them are also self-deceived and we, as the audience, begin to realise ourselves that we are sometimes deceived. This creates great opportunities for Shakespeare to create humour and dramatic irony, which a Shakespearian audience would understand. Deception also links in with the other key themes of love and disguise.

When Shakespeare first introduces Viola, we realise from the main plot that she is the main part of deception. We learn that she is a strong and resourceful character in her situation. We learn that she has lost her brother in a shipwreck and doesn't no if he is dead or alive. A woman would be very vulnerable, at the time the play was written in strange foreign country all alone, so for protection she decides to dress up as a man. We find out that she will call herself Cesario and try to find work, with the duke Orsino. When she states this intention we know that confusion and humour will be involved in the plot of the play. Viola will be deceiving everyone into thinking she's a man but unlike all of the other characters she is not self-deceived. Shakespeare creates a great ironic twist with Violas situation.

In act 1 scene 4 when Viola has successfully taken on the role of Cesario, we see Orsino has grown very close to him/her, and sees him as a good friend after only knowing him a couple of days, 'if the duke continues these favours towards you, Cesario, you are like to be much advanced'. The audience can tell that Viola has done very well in deceiving Orsino into thinking into thinking she is a man, and has already made an excellent impression. Orsino is so impressed by Cesario that he has revealed everything about his love for Olivia, 'Thou know'st no less but all; I have unclasped to thee book even of my secret soul'.

The audience now see dramatic irony brought into the plot Orsino demands that Cesario should deliver a message to Olivia to tell her of his love for her. The dramatic irony is shown through the way Cesario (viola) herself has fallen in love with Orsino and can do absolutely nothing about it because she is disguised as a man. Cesario would rather be the one he was in love with, 'yet a barful strife! Whoe'er I was myself be his wife'. This would originally create humour with the confusion of the situation making problems for the characters. However the audience begins to realise that it is a more serious situation for Viola. This becomes clear later on in the play when she utters 'disguise I see thou art a wickedness'.

When Cesario is speaking with Orsino he compares her so much to a women, 'Diana's lip is not more smooth and rubious' and 'all is semblative to a woman's part. That creates more humour and irony but also an extremely difficult situation for Cesario.

In the opening of act 1 scene 5 Viola is again shown as a determined character, 'he'll stand at your door like sheriffs post' declares Malvolio to Olivia describing Viola. When Olivia is first told that there is a messenger from Orsino wanting to speak with her she makes up excuses, 'I am sick or not at home'. This shows she has probably had many messengers from Orsino and doesn't wish to speak with them anymore.

Olivia has sadly lost her brother and has announced that she is going to 'abjure the company of men' for seven years. This is very extreme behaviour and we begin to discover that she is self-deceiving herself in the way that she feels she must mourn for her brother. That her behaviour is highly unnatural is suggested in a number of ways. Firstly Shakespeare has given us, in Viola, a character in a similar situation to Olivia but she has taken a very different approach to the situation. Secondly Sir Toby and Feste draw attention to how absurd Olivia's behaviour is. Feste proves she is a 'fool' to mourn a soul in heaven. Olivia is greatly amused by Feste in act 1 scene 5 showing us the strong, lively character she is wrongly trying to repress.

In the film version before Cesario enters Olivia says to Maria 'Give me my veil', to show she is still a women in mourning and at this point both Maria and Olivia put on veils. When Cesario enters two women in veils therefore great her. Shakespeare shows another act of deception here. Olivia is deceiving Cesario so he doesn't know who 'the lady of the house is'. This shows a wicked sense of humour in Olivia and hints at the lively character hidden under the sad, serious exterior. In the film version this gives the directors and actors a chance to add more humour and fully show the confusion of Cesario.

As Cesario repeats to Olivia the very 'poetical' speech from Orsino in praise of Olivia we see another form of deception, which is emphasised by the acting imagery Viola uses, 'I have taken great pains to con it' and 'it is excellently well penned'. We can furthermore tell that Cesario is playing a part when he says 'that is out of my part' and 'I am not that I play'.

We now learn that Orsino's love for Olivia is possibly only surface deep and only infatuation, when Olivia states that Orsino's 'poetical' speech 'is more like to be feigned'. This is our first hint that Orsino may not really be in love with Olivia.

Cesario tells Olivia what he would do if he were in love with her 'make me a willow cabin at your gate... make the babbling gossip of the air cry out Olivia!' Olivia seems to admire what Cesario is saying very much.

We the audience, realise maybe that if Orsino had come to see Olivia herself and told her of his lover for her instead of sending others to do so, that possibly she would off fallen in love with him. However we think that he would rather sit at home weeping about his unrequited love for Olivia, acting like a sad, lonely man in love.

Pathos is felt frequently in act 2 scene 4, through the way Orsino speaks with Cesario, as a man would talk to another man, about love and men and women's attitudes towards it. Orsino offends women in the process, yet Viola has to try to defend women without giving herself

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